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A bill that gives such sweeping powers to the premier in the name of economic security has to include the resource sector
By Resource Works
More News and Views From Resource Works Here
The BC government is making waves with its new bill, the Economic Stabilization Act or Bill 7. Premier David Eby introduced it as a way to prepare for tough times, especially with U.S. President Donald Trump threatening tariffs that will cause havoc for the Canadian economy. If it passes, the bill will give Eby’s cabinet powerful flexibility, enough to impose new tolls on highways or shift how public money is spent, all to keep BC steady when global trade gets rough.
At the heart of this is the province’s resource sector, the key to BC’s future. The natural gas industry is a big opportunity. Projects like Cedar LNG and Ksi Lisims LNG, led by Indigenous communities, could make BC a major player in Asia’s energy markets.
With shipping routes to Japan shorter than most starting in the US, and facilities that run cleaner due to Clean BC regulations, the province has a chance to lock in deals—now that U.S. trade policies are uncertain. Add in the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission (PRGT) line, built to serve Ksi Lisims LNG, and you’ve got another piece of the puzzle to fall into place.
But these projects keep hitting roadblocks. Environmental assessments and regulatory hurdles have slowed them down to a painful crawl. Meanwhile, Alaska is moving ahead with a $44 billion USD LNG plan to supply Japan with Trump’s explicit blessing, and BC is getting pressure to step up.
Bill 7 could cut through some of that red tape, but as it stands, the bill doesn’t create a fast lane for resource developments. In fact, Bill 7 is designed to single out and exclude resource projects from the fast-tracking.
How does it fit into BC’s overall economy—after all, this sector creates thousands upon thousands of jobs and fills the provincial coffers like few others? Eby is calling the bill a shield against uncertainty, but this is not being extended universally.
With Trump eyeing tariffs and even talking about rethinking the Columbia River Treaty, BC needs to be ready, he says. Bill 7 will let the cabinet change laws on the fly, such as possibly imposing fees on U.S. trucks headed to Alaska or the bill may help steer contracts to local companies. It’s about being agile, the government says, in a world that’s not.
Minds like Mark Mancini, a professor at Thompson Rivers University, have expressed real concerns about the bill’s broad scope that would effectively lock power of the economy into the premier’s office. It’s got what’s called a “Henry VIII clause,” a fancy term for the cabinet being able to change the rules without having to go through the legislature.
That’s a big deal, but it’s not hard to see why a government with a slim majority from the 2024 election might want to do that. Eby’s team says it’s about being able to adapt, not to grab power, though many have expressed doubts.
However, the resource sector’s absence from Bill 7 is coming up in conversations. LNG could be the backbone of BC’s future economy in a Trumpified world where Asian markets are still hungry for energy. Cedar LNG and Ksi Lisims LNG aren’t just projects—they’re bridges to better relationships with Indigenous groups and a chance to use BC’s advantages to shore up and grow the economy. Competition from Alaska only adds to the pressure.
Eby’s team seems committed to moving this forward, framing it as a lifeline for tough times ahead. There’s still time to change the bill, maybe even to bump the resource sector up the list. For now, it’s a balancing act—preparing for the unknown while debating what BC needs most. With BC’s resources on the table, the next steps will determine the province’s place on the map for years to come.
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